POLIMIALGIA REUMATICA E ARTRITE REUMATOIDE DELL'ANZIANO AD ESORDIO SIMIL POLIMIALGICO: CONFRONTO TRA DUE GRUPPI DI PAZIENTI

PMR and EORA PMR-like onset may present large overlapping areas in their patterns, at onset. In this study we examined demographic, clinical and laboratory features of 19 patients with PMR and 22 patients with EORA PMR-like onset, to identify possible differences between the 2 diseases. EORA PMR-like onset occurred more frequently in males (14 men and 8 women) than PMR (4 men and 4 women) (p = 0,015). In EORA PMR-like onset we reported higher levels of gamma-globulins (p = 0,0034), immunoglobulins IgG (p = 0,0039), IgA (p = 0,0024) and IgM (p = 0,012) than PMR. Fever (p = 0,021), asthenia (p = 0,003) and the contemporary involvement of the shoulder and pelvic girdle (p = 0,0045) were more frequent in PMR patients than EORA PMR-like patients. Moreover, the involvement of the shoulder girdle only (p = 0,0045) and arthritis of the peripheral joints (p = 0,0003) were more frequent in EORA PMR-like onset than PMR patients. The results of this preliminary study revealed different demographic, clinical and laboratory features that may offer additional help in differential diagnosis, at onset, between the 2 diseases.